Oil extraction, environmental degradation and poverty in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria: a viewpoint

In Nigeria, environmental problems are severe, particularly in the Niger Delta region of the country. In that region, crude petroleum activities damage the fertility of the soil, and destroy wildlife and the breeding ground for marine fishes because of the toxicity of oil and gas. Consequently, the indigenous people are impoverished, with attendant increase in environmental abuse occasioned by their struggle for survival. The various government programmes aimed at ameliorating their plight have failed due to inefficiency and corruption. The federal government is also thwarting efforts by Niger Deltans at resource control that would help to distribute equitably the oil resources of the region. This opposition to a derivation‐based redress to the development problems of Niger Delta is partly responsible for the anarchy that the region is experiencing. Unless the underlying problems are addressed, the Niger Delta will remain a source of instability for the Nigerian federation. Therefore, the oil of the Niger Delta needs exploitation in ways that advance the cause of development in Nigeria without compromising the environmental values of that region and the welfare of its people.